Back to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Newsfeed

NFL Draft Rumor: Buccaneers passed on Dalvin Cook because Doug Martin is doing well

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are really happy with first-round pick O.J. Howard, but selecting the star tight end did cause them to pass on Florida State running back Dalvin Cook—something some fans aren’t all that happy about.

Cook’s draft stock was all over the first round over the past month, mostly driven by vague concerns about his off-field behavior. It’s not clear whether the Bucs are as concerned about that as other teams appear to be, though.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, one reason they passed on Cook is that veteran Doug Martin has been very impressive so far this offseason.